War Of The Mages
by DescendingAngel
Summary: Hogwarts is being attacked by Death Eaters and teachers as well as students have to defend the school. CAUTION: character deaths (complete)
1. Default Chapter

War Of The Mages  
  
  
  
Minerva McGonagall sat in a high chair, facing the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, and took a sip of tea from her cup. It had been a very warm summer's day but by now the cool night had fallen over the castle.  
  
"Let him enjoy their success while it lasts, after all it has become a rare enough occurrence for Slytherin to win a match against Gryffindor." Dumbledore said with a smile.  
  
"This is indeed true, ever since young Mr. Potter is playing as our seeker Gryffindor finally is the favourite team again." She replied, smiled back at him and gazed out of the window behind him into the darkness. She placed her cup on the table, rose out of her chair and walked over to the window on the other side of the room.  
  
"Albus..." She whispered after she had been standing there in silence for a moment, staring outside. The old wizard got up and walked over to stand next to her.  
  
Mighty clouds were gathering in the dark sky, covering the stars, and dense mist came creeping out of the depths of the forest onto the adjoining meadows. Dumbledore's attention though was immediately drawn to what McGonagall had seen too. Somewhere from in between some big old trees fog was rising towards the sky, gleaming and green. They both watched the scene in silence and anxious anticipation. Suspecting the same they both could merely hope to be proven wrong.  
  
The green fog gathered into a thick cloud, rose up into the darkness and under a light breeze it was transformed into the feared and hated skull with a snake creeping from out of its mouth. Shining bright and sharply demarcated from the storm clouds the sign was floating in the sky, leaving everything beneath in a ghostly greenish light.  
  
  
  
It hadn't been long before the whole staff of Hogwarts had gathered in the hallway in front of Dumbledore's office as well as most of the ghosts that were usually haunting the school. Nearly Headless Nick was restlessly floating up and down the corridor and even Peeves had become very quiet and was hanging motionless mid-air in a corner. Some of the witches and wizards were whispering nervously to each other but the chatter immediately stopped and turned into a tense silence when Dumbledore joined them. He was accompanied by the four Aurors who had been staying at the school since Voldemort's return. Dumbledore let his eyes travel over his colleagues.  
  
"Minerva, where are Remus and Severus?" He asked.  
  
McGonagall turned her head and looked over her shoulder where she had seen the two men when she had arrived here. "I... I don't know." She then said. "They were here just a moment ago."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes flashed but right now he really didn't have time to worry about these two. They would never do as they were told, he knew that.  
  
"We don't know how many of them are here and what their goal is." Dumbledore explained and the eyes of all the people surrounding him turned to the headmaster. In these eyes anxiety and nervousness were to be seen but also an imperturbable faith in the old wizard knowing what actions to take and telling them what they should do. "I suggest that some of us will be going down into the forest..."  
  
He was interrupted by Snape and Lupin who had just come running up the stairs to show up amidst their colleagues again.  
  
"Albus." Lupin said, catching the headmaster's attention. "They are going to attack the school. There are too many of them." He then added, still breathing heavily.  
  
Dumbledore looked at the two men questioningly.  
  
"The castle is no longer safe, we have to take the students out of here." Snape said curtly.  
  
"This is impossible, there is just no possible way to..." Professor McGonagall said.  
  
"Voldemort will raze Hogwarts to the ground!" Lupin interrupted her.  
  
"Silence please!" Dumbledore said and with that ended their discussion. "Professor Sprout, Mr. Filch, Professor Binns and all the ghosts present, you will please commence to send the students through the secret passageway to Hogsmeade, as soon as the Aurors there are ready for them." He then said and the ones he had named started to move.  
  
"Albus, what about Potter?" McGonagall asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "We can't spare anyone who could take care of him. He will leave as one of the first." He replied in a low voice. "The other teachers will please follow me to the Forbidden Forest." An awkward silence fell over the corridor and Dumbledore thoughtfully looked at his colleagues.  
  
"Our chances might not be good but maybe we can at least keep them away long enough so they won't be able to cause a massacre in this school. Whoever of you does not feel like being up to this may leave now." He added and then walked past the other teachers towards the stairs leading down into the castle's entrance hall.  
  
His colleagues stood motionless for a moment. Dumbledore had never before showed any doubt that it would be impossible for Voldemort to conquer Hogwarts and as long as he had been so sure about this, they had felt like that as well. Lupin and Snape started to move first, following the headmaster and soon the others did the same. None of them had to really think about the option to run away since they all felt too obliged to Dumbledore and responsible for the students.  
  
  
  
Those who were to evacuate the students did not have an easy task. Nearly Headless Nick was floating through Gryffindor tower, waking up students and, with the help of some of the older ones, gathering them in the common room. Many of the younger children were in panic, crying and shouting. Others were just standing in a corner and watching what was happening. Harry and Ron had immediately run to the window and could see their teachers walk towards the Forbidden Forest in some kind of combat formation. Dumbledore was in the lead, flanked by Snape and Lupin. In the next row they recognized the four Aurors, all wearing alike robes, behind them McGonagall and most of the others. At the end of this group were Professor Flitwick and Hagrid, both even in the darkness still easily recognized from up here.  
  
Ron and Harry allowed themselves to be dragged along to the door by Fred and George and walked to the entrance of the secret passageway to Hogsmeade with their fellow students, meeting those of the other houses there.  
  
"Harry Potter?" He suddenly heard Professor Sprout's voice over the heads of the children. "Come over here please, Mr. Potter!" She said, waving at him.  
  
He made his way through the groups of students up to the Ravenclaw first years who were standing around their Professor.  
  
"You will leave with the first group." She said, pushing him towards the entrance, but he didn't even think about doing what she was saying.  
  
"Why?" he asked. "First we should take care that the younger..."  
  
"We are not doing anything here, Mr. Potter, I tell you and you do as you're told!" She snapped at him and grabbed his arm tightly.  
  
Harry was quite surprised by this reaction, pulled away from her and took a step backwards.  
  
"I surely won't! We should rather go and help the teachers! Things don't seem to look too good now that you're trying to get everyone out of the school, right?" He said.  
  
A big Hufflepuff boy stepped out of the crowd and was moving towards him. "Potter is right!" He shouted. Anxiety was rising and Nearly Headless Nick started to send the younger children into the passageway.  
  
Fred and George Weasley now also walked over to Harry and stood next to him, followed by some more students, mostly seventh years but some in their fifth or sixth year as well. Even Draco Malfoy, of whom most people probably really would not have expected this, stepped out from the other Slytherins to join the Gryffindors he hated so much.  
  
"This really is not the right time for starting a revolution!" Professor Sprout shouted. "You would only be in the way down there!"  
  
But the students had already made their decision and would not let Professor Sprout keep them back. They were convinced that they were able to help in this battle against Voldemort, since many of them had already nearly completed their education here.  
  
"Let's go!" Caleb Searcy, a seventh year from Ravenclaw, said and the others followed him towards the stairs.  
  
"Mr. Searcy! Come back!" cried Professor Sprout. "Potter! McKinnis! Weasley! Frost! Come back here this instant!"  
  
The young witches and wizards didn't pay any attention to her anymore. The professor soon realized that she couldn't stop them so she went back to saving the other students while the rebels were running down the stairs to the entrance hall.  
  
  
  
They had only just left the school behind when they saw a mighty white flash of lightning racing towards the castle from in between the trees, followed by a glowing red sphere. The first flash broke through the protective charms that had been set up all around Hogwarts and made way for the second spell which hit the castle walls with a loud crash, sending pieces of the old stone wall down onto the grass. Harry and the other students stopped to look around before being swallowed by a dense cloud of dust emerging from the fallen stones.  
  
  
  
It wasn't too difficult for them to make out where their enemy was. From the shadows of the big tree trunks brightly coloured lightning flashed, accompanied by voices shouting curses and spells out into the night or crying out loud when being hit by one of them. Ron and Harry ran into the woods together and took cover behind a large old tree while the rest of the group split up as well and vanished between the trees. In the night's cool air still some reminder of the warm day gone by was present and here deep in the woods the air smelled of the damp moth and soil.  
  
Only a few steps away from the two boys a figure was moving and when a blinding flash of light illuminated the darkness for a moment they stared right into the eyes of a man hiding his face under a terrifying mask. The didn't hesitate for even a second - they both jumped out from behind the tree with their wands raised crying 'Petrificus Totalus!'. Their spells hit the Death Eater from both sides at the same time and his body stiffened and fell backwards to the ground. They threw each other a victorious grin and continued their way through the forest.  
  
  
  
Snape knew he didn't have enough strength left to waste it on blocking the attack as soon as the masked wizard had spoken the words. He let his wand drop from his right hand catching it with his left the very moment the curse hit his right arm. The spell tore a deep cut in the flesh and shattered the bones underneath. He barely noticed the pain but concentrated on his counter attack and sent the Death Eater to the ground severely injured. For a moment he stood still, staring into the black night that surrounded him and listening to the combatants and the low continuous sound of the blood running down his arm and dripping to the ground.  
  
  
  
Draco Malfoy jerked and stood motionless in the protective darkness when he heard the well known voice that belonged to his father.  
  
"So Dumbledore already has to send children into the battle?" Lucius Malfoy hissed coldly and advanced another step towards the dark haired girl - Fiona Frost, a Ravenclaw girl, Draco had recognized her by now, only one year older than himself - who timidly pressed herself against a stone wall behind her. Glancing nervously past the Death Eater she could see her wand on the ground, way too far from her to reach it. Below his mask the man smiled and in his eyes there was an evil sparkle. Draco didn't hesitate long but leaped out of the shadows towards his father, raised his wand and cried "Expelliarmus!". His eyes wide with shock Lucius Malfoy turned around, stared at his son and was thrown backwards against the rock. Draco ran over to Fiona, grabbed her hand and dragged her along to the trees back into the protective darkness.  
  
  
  
Nestor O'Connor was the first wizard from their side that Harry and Ron saw fall in this night. The young Auror was thrown onto a rock with incredible force, hitting it hard with his back and his head. Minerva McGonagall had been only a few steps away from him when she had to watch her former student, one of her Gryffindors, being hit by the curse. With more agility than Harry and Ron would ever have expected from her she jumped towards the attacker, pointed her wand at him and sent the Death Eater to the ground unconscious. As soon as he was knocked out she knelt down next to O'Connor.  
  
The young man was lying motionless next to the rock, his eyes half closed, bleeding from his nose and ears, blood in his short dark hair. McGonagall placed her hand on his forehead, muttered a few words and the injured young man closed his eyes and let his head fall to the side. As soon as she had disappeared into the darkness again, Harry and Ron ran towards the wizard and stopped a few steps away from him, staring down onto the young man.  
  
"He... he's not dead, is he?" Ron whispered.  
  
Harry watched the Auror very closely for a few seconds. "No, he's breathing." He then said.  
  
Quietly the two boys walked on through the forest, towards the fighting wizards.  
  
  
  
In the darkness Snape hadn't noticed the wizard creeping up to him from behind. Not before he heard Remus Lupin's voice to his right. He jumped around and saw a bright flash of light racing towards and past him and then hitting the Death Eater right into the chest. Snape gave his colleague a thankful look and Lupin grinned at him. It happened as a complete surprise to both of them, none of them was able to see the second masked man.  
  
'Avada Kedavra!'  
  
For the first time in this whole battle these words were echoing through the night, unstoppable and final. Now that this invisible borderline had once been passed the avalanche it caused could not be stopped anymore.  
  
Behind the bush where they had been hiding Harry dropped to the ground, raising his hands to cover his face. He didn't want to see this, never again he wanted to have to see this. The green flash of light lit up the darkness and Remus Lupin fell to the ground. Even before his body had hit the cold earth Snape had turned around, raised his wand and gathered all his energy.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" He also cried, green light flashed and the man that had just killed Lupin immediately broke down dead. Snape stumbled some steps backwards, let his wand drop from his hand and sank to the ground, leaning against a tree next to Lupin and closed his eyes.  
  
The very moment he had uttered the unforgivable curse he had known that this probably was to be the last big thing he would do that night, if only he had still enough strength left to accomplish this. Probably he would have been of more use not allowing himself to be carried away by an emotion as instinctive as revenge, but it was no use contemplating about this anymore. He should just have seen the second Death Eater a moment earlier. "I'm sorry." He whispered barely audible.  
  
Harry still sat crouched down on the ground, his face buried in his arms so he didn't have to see or hear anything anymore. Ron was white as a sheet, stared horrified at him and at his teachers and finally sat down next to Harry without saying a word. 


	2. Chapter2

He couldn't tell for how long they had been sitting there like that. Around him bolts of lightning flashed and voices echoed through the woods, some of them very far away, some of them dangerously close, but he wasn't able to see anyone. At some point Harry had started trembling and sobbing. Far away the thunder roared and it started to rain. 

Slowly Ron stood up from the ground, grabbed Harry's arm, pulled him to his feet and carefully sneaked over to Snape and Lupin. He knew the unforgivable curse was fatal and that nobody could ever escape it. Still he knelt down next to Lupin, reached out his hand and touched his arm. He flinched and withdrew his hand again. He was dead, there was no doubt about that, but only now Ron could truly believe it. Had he not dragged Harry along by his sleeve he would probably just have stopped walking to stand motionless where he was. Ron stepped past Lupin and stood in front of Snape who was still sitting with his back against the tree. He watched him very closely, trying to make out any sort of movement through the darkness that would prove that he at least was still alive. His efforts remained unsuccessful so he knelt down on the ground next to his professor and carefully touched his shoulder with his fingertips.

Ron asked in a low voice. Professor Snape?

A blinding flash of lightning illuminated the sky and at that moment Snape opened his eyes to look directly into Ron's face.

The infamous Mr. Weasley. He muttered. I assume Mr. Potter is somewhere around as well.

Yes Sir, he's here too... Ron replied. Are you all right? He then asked slowly.

Snape looked down to where Lupin lay. I'm alive. He muttered and struggled hard to get up from the ground. Follow me. He then said and slowly made a few steps, followed by Ron, but not by Harry who was still standing there trembling and completely apathetic. Snape turned around, walked back to Harry and seized him by his shoulder. He opened his eyes wide, stared at him and pulled away from him. Snape sighed inaudibly.

Come on now, Potter! He snarled, roughly grabbed his arm and dragged the young wizard along deeper into the forest. Some minutes later he seemed to have found the place he had been looking for, stopped, sank down to the ground protected by a large black rock and brought Harry down with him. Ron sat down next to Harry and put an arm around his shoulders.

  


It was still raining and it had become significantly colder. Harry had fallen asleep and Snape had been sitting motionless with his eyes closed forever now. Ron wished he could also just sleep and wake up the next morning to see that everything was nothing but a bad dream. He put his wet hair out of his face and hugged his knees with his arms. By now he was totally soaked and shivering from cold. From the bushes not far away from him he heard something rustling, winced and hopefully looked over to Snape, but he didn't show any sort of reaction.

He asked in a low voice and Snape opened his eyes, shot him an angry glare and thus immediately shut him up just like he had intended. Ron watched his teacher and realized that he also must have had heard the noise and was by now listening closely to find out where it had come from. Without making any sound Snape rose from the ground, pulled out his wand, walked a few steps and vanished between the trees. Ron looked after him, concentrated on staring into the darkness and winced whenever he heard only a leaf rustling in the wind.

He whispered and carefully shook him by the shoulder. Harry slowly lifted his head and stared at him out of empty eyes without saying a word. Ron had never been able to imagine he would ever miss Snape's presence, but right here and now he felt totally desolate. Somewhere way too close a gleaming red light flashed, followed by a muffled scream.

Where did Snape go? Harry asked in a low voice and when Ron looked at him he saw that he finally seemed to have composed himself again.

He replied with a shrug and nodded in the direction where Snape had disappeared into the forest. Maybe we should go back to the school, we really can't do anything down here. Ron then whispered.

A late realization, Mr. Weasley. The both looked up and saw Snape standing behind them again. You two will stay here, you will not move. He whispered.

Harry hadn't been quite sure what he wanted to say when he opened his mouth, he had probably only tried to protest because he was used to it. He anyway didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

Don't move, don't make a sound. Snape hissed. Am I understood? He threw them a deadly glance and Ron and Harry nodded before he was swallowed by the darkness again.

  


The two boys were sitting next to each other on the damp forest ground and listened to the sound of the raindrops in the leafs. They were both very tired and they were freezing, but they wouldn't fall asleep, they would just sit and wait for the next day seeming so endlessly far away. 

The sounds of the battle travelled further away from them and the stillness of night engulfed them more and more. But even the longest and darkest night has to end and when the pale morning was dawning it had become completely silent all around them. It wasn't raining anymore and single weak rays of sunlight cut through the delicate white mist when they started on their way back to the castle. Everything around them seemed so quiet and peaceful, it made it hard for anyone to believe that what had happened the night before had been for real. All the Death Eaters had disappeared, even the injured and the dead - Voldemort never left such traces. But the battle had claimed its victims. Harry and Ron hadn't taken the way that would lead them past the spot where Lupin had been lying the night before. They were going to tell Dumbledore or someone else about it as soon as they would get back to the school, although the teachers probably already knew anyway.

They reached a small clearing and a few steps away they saw a body on the ground. It was a young woman, one of the Aurors, Alina Slingarks. She lay motionless, face down, her head turned to the side and her empty open eyes staring into the distance. Harry had barely ever spoken to her, she had been staying with the Ravenclaws, and now she was dead. They didn't say anything, stared down at her for a moment and then walked on. 

It had become warmer and slowly the forest was becoming thinner as they approached the edge of the woods. It was going to be a sunny day today, a day laughing with a sneer at the battlefield the night had left behind. Between the trees in front of them there was a movement. It was Dumbledore. He seemed exhausted, but at least he was still alive. They wanted to run over to him but remained where they were standing when they saw the man in the black cloak lying on the ground in front of the headmaster.

Dumbledore looked down at Severus Snape silently for a long time, his eyes filled with sadness. Snape was lying on his back, his eyes half closed. On his chest a slim bird of prey had huddled up, its wide gray-brown wings protectively spread over its dead master.

Linya, come here. Dumbledore whispered and the bird lifted its head a little to look at him questioningly out of large gleaming yellow eyes but didn't make a move. 

I know. The old wizard answered the bird's gaze and held out his arm. Now come on. 

The young sparrow hawk blinked and put its head back down onto the black cloak. Dumbledore knelt down next to Snape, carefully closed his eyes with his hand and picked up the wand that had been lying on the ground next to Snape's left hand. With a soft sigh the old man got up again and walked on towards the edge of the woods.

Let's go. Ron muttered and pulled at Harry's sleeve.

Harry replied softly and slowly walked over to the dead wizard. The bird turned its head to face him and watched him closely out of narrowed eyes. 

It's all right. Harry whispered to the animal as he approached further and knelt down on the ground next to Snape. 

From this near the man didn't look as cold and dangerous as Harry had known him. He just couldn't be dead. Not he who had fooled Voldemort over so many years, who had always managed to balance on the fine line between both sides, who had again and again followed the Dark Lord's call but still never returned to his side. Not the man who had always protected him. The man he had always considered as invincible.

Thank you. Harry whispered and then quickly jumped up from the ground again. He still felt uncomfortable being so close to him and didn't know what else he could have said. He only wished he would have told him earlier. Although Snape probably wouldn't have listened anyway. 

Harry turned away from him and took a few steps but looked back when he heard the flapping of wings. The sparrow hawk had risen from its place, spread its long wings in the air and was staring directly into Harry's eyes. Harry hesitated and then raised his arm a little. Do you want to come with me? He asked in a low voice.

The bird wavered, looked down at Snape one last time and then jumped into the air, fluttered towards Harry, landed on his arm and climbed up onto his shoulder. Harry slowly walked through between the trees to the edge of the woods.

  


When he stepped out onto the meadow together with Ron they saw a scene of destruction. The mighty ancient castle, having been standing here over centuries, having lasted unharmed through so many wars and having seen the comings and goings of so many generations of wizards was merely a shadow of its once so imposing appearance. Some of the towers had broken down nearly completely and giant wholes had been torn into the old walls. Dust still filled the air and engulfed what had remained of Hogwarts in a ghostly fog. Through this mist they saw blurred figures and from in between the trees next to them their comrades-in-arms stepped out of the shadows of the woods and onto the meadow. Many of them were injured and had to be supported by their friends and Harry also knew that many of those who had defended Hogwarts that night would not be returning at all. He stepped forward and stood next to the headmaster who was standing with his arms behind his back and gazing up to the ancient castle. When he noticed Harry's presence he looked at him, studied the bird of prey sitting on his shoulder and smiled at him without hiding the sadness in his eyes.

I'm sure Severus would have been taken with Linya's choice. The old wizard then whispered.

  


~ end ~


End file.
